Ice skating is a widely popular sport in many countries. The evolution of skating has led to many innovative changes in the hardware used in this sport. These innovations include improved designs for skate blades and the metals used for the blades. Existing ice skate blades are presently manufactured from high carbon steels, stainless steels or titanium. Each of these materials has characteristics that are undesired. Corrosion resistance is an important characteristic for ice skate blades. As a blade corrodes, the cutting edge deteriorates, thus becoming dull. When skate cutting edges are dull, they do not effectively cut into the ice. Sharp cutting edges are important, especially when a skater is making turns. Presently, it is not uncommon for hockey players to grind their skates twice during a competition game. All skating rinks have grinding equipment to provide for the regrinding of blades. Improvements in the ability of ice skate blades to retain a sharp edge and resist corrosion would be an important factor in the sports of hockey, speed skating and figure skating.
High carbon steels are subject to corrosion and thus dulling of the running surface of the blade. Stainless steels have better corrosion resistance properties than the high carbon steel blades however, are still subject to corrosion. Corrosion is the primary reason for the dulling of steel ice skate blades. Thus, if a blade had good corrosion resistance, the time between re-grinding could be reduced.
Ice skate blades produced from high carbon steel are normally plated with chrome or other corrosion resistant materials. This plating however, cannot be applied to the running surface of the blade as they are constantly being re-ground to produce two ice cutting edges. Stainless steel blades have better corrosion resistance than high carbon steel, but in order to be heat treatable to high hardness, substantial carbon content in the alloy is required. This high carbon content increases the potential for corrosion.
Titanium skate blades do have good corrosion resistance properties. However, titanium cannot be processed to have high hardness. Titanium can be processed to have a maximum hardness of ˜38 Rockwell C.
An important consideration when selecting a skate blade material, besides hardness of the metal surface that rides on the ice, is brittleness. The skate blade material must be hard enough to minimize erosion of the blade, but not so hard as to be brittle. Hockey blades, especially, must be malleable enough to absorb impacts without shattering.
A third factor, not commonly considered for conventional skate blade design, is the coefficient of friction of the blade on the ice. Skate blades concentrate the weight of the skater in a small area and the resulting pressure produces a film of water, which lubricates the skate blade as it slides over the ice surface. However, there is solid ice contact on skate blade edges during skating, particularly during turning and hard edging while accelerating forward. Improvements to the coefficient of friction of the skate blade on the ice would improve the speed and smooth feel of the skates and would be an improvement much welcomed by skaters.
The same characteristics would also be useful for other ice sliding equipment such as sleds and ice boats, and on other sporting vehicles intended for use on ice, such a luge, bobsled and skeleton.